Customers evolve. The customers you had when you first started your business are not the same kind that you have now. Their needs and wants change and you need to be changing with them. 

In The New Gold Standard, author Joseph Michelli takes you on an exclusive tour behind the scenes of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. Through unprecedented access, he uncovered principles they use that all business owners can implement. Things like:

• Understanding the ever-evolving needs of customers
• Empowering employees by treating them with the utmost respect
• Anticipating customers' unexpressed needs and concerns
• Developing and conducting an unsurpassed training regimen 

Throughout the book Michelli shares engaging stories from the company's employees--from the corporate office and hotels around the globe. He describes innovative methods the company uses to create peerless guest experiences and explains how it constantly hones and improves them. 

The New Gold Standard integrates...

Legislative requirements regarding overtime pay are often changing and being updated, making it hard to keep up.  We are all familiar with the classification of “Landscape Gardener” as per the Employment Standards Act and the exemption in the Act for paying overtime, public holiday/public holiday pay and excess hours. (Landscape Gardener Classification Exemption ) 

But are you aware that building retaining walls for structural purposes, installing lightning systems, or spraying roads and industrial sites for weeds would not fall under that exemption? (Landscape Gardener Classification Exemption ) That would mean that any construction, including the building of retaining walls, would be classified under “CONSTRUCTION” and therefore the employee is eligible for different things, such as overtime after 44 hours/week. (Construction Classification Exemption)

The real kicker, though, is Snow Removal business operations. As per the Employment Standards Act...

Successful businesses don't happen by accident. Business growth requires strategic planning and a commitment to work on your business and not just in your business. There are 5 important reasons why your business isn't reaching its full potential, despite all your time, energy and hard work. 

Mistake #1 - NOT SHARING YOUR LEADERSHIP ROLE

Are you trying to do everything yourself? We encourage you to start by looking at your own leadership role in your business. Have you identified what kind of leader you are? Is your leadership style serving your team well so that your business can grow and operate without you?

Mistake #2 - NOT LISTENING TO YOUR CUSTOMERS

Do you understand your customers?

You wouldn't have a business without your customers but at the end of the day, do you understand their behaviour? You have the power to create loyal ambassadors to your company by giving your customers a great experience and managing their expectations.

Mistake #3 - NOT INVESTING IN YOUR STAFF

How has the last week gone? Were you able to implement any of the tips suggested to help alleviate feeling like a firefighter? As promised, here are a few more from Bruce Wilson of the Wilson-Oyler Group:

1. Delegate. Take a look at your to do lists and identify what can be done by others. It may take them a little longer than it would you, but that’s okay. It’s better if a job takes a little more time and gets completed, than to not get done at all because you’ve run out of time. You can’t do it all, delegate to your staff.
2. Slower can be faster. Sometimes you go so fast trying to keep up that you lose sight of the big picture. Prioritize so you don’t miss what’s important.  
3. If your crews are scheduled to work in inclement weather make sure scheduled tasks can be done effectively in the rain.
4. Rely on your team. When you start falling behind, don’t be afraid to ask for help .Senior managers are there to help you be successful. 
...

With the beauty of spring comes the stress that accompanies the start of the season for landscaping companies. It’s been nicknamed the “100 days of hell” because of the chaos that so often ensues. This year, much like last, we have the added stress of COVID-19 and the stress of the unknown when it comes to zones and restrictions. 

As Bruce Wilson put it, “In less disciplined organizations, spring makes everyone a firefighter”. You’re constantly putting out fires, it gets out of control quickly and by the time you see the financial impact, it is too late to do anything about it. Some companies never escape the spiral.

If this is sounding a little too familiar (and uncomfortable), here are a few tips Bruce Wilson suggests to help you move out of the firefighting space permanently:

1. Understand the difference between routine and non-routine work. Weekly maintenance is routine work, while nonroutine work includes things like post-winter cleanups,...

Spring is here which means things are typically happening at lightning speed. Although there are a lot of unknowns this year, keeping organized is not only a nice idea, it is crucial to you and your team's success. 

Here are a couple tips that will help ensure the important things are not slipping between the cracks:

• Create a written plan for the day. Preplan all of the repeat tasks that often fall through the cracks and use the rock, pebble, sand method to ensure the most important things are scheduled first. 
• Leverage a calendar. Leave some whitespace between tasks so that if something comes up, it doesn’t derail your entire day.
• Block out distractions.
• Delegate tasks you do not need to do.
• Track how you are spending your time.
• Eliminate unnecessary tasks.

I also encourage owners to pay attention to how much time they spend on the phone and with whom. Is it your management team or are you getting calls from staff and crew leaders regularly? 

If crew leaders...

As you move into the very busy spring season, it’s crucial that you as the owner be organized. 

Over the years I have tried different tools and strategies and have a few I’ve come to love and use regularly. Click the link below/ the resources link in our bio for my list of go to tips and tools.

• Always keep a notebook handy - Evernote is my preferred digital notebook. https://evernote.com/
• Use a planner. It doesn’t matter if that’s paper or digital, just make sure it’s being updated on the go so that appointments and meetings are not being missed. I love using Calendly for appointments. If you’re using paper - I would recommend the Michael Hyatt Full Focus Planner. https://fullfocusstore.com/
• Set a morning routine and stick to it. When you do the same thing every morning, it removes the decision-making from that part of your day. This allows you to save your decision-making energy for the business and avoid decision fatigue
• Work with a coach...

Let’s talk about firing. Although it’s uncomfortable, there are times when it’s essential. At those times, it’s important that you are prepared and that you do not avoid it. Total Landscape Care posted a couple of articles a number of years ago that are still relevant today. Here is a brief overview of my takeaways from reading them.

Things to remember:

• “The goal is not termination. The goal is to gain the performance you want. If it comes to it, the termination should never be a surprise to the employee” - Bill Cook (President, Human Resource Associates)
• Know the laws and create a paper trail. All infractions must be documented. It doesn’t hurt to book a call with an employment lawyer if there are any questions around it.

Questions to ask yourself:

• Why do you want to terminate them?
• Have you terminated others for similar performance?
• Do you see anything personal in your reasons?
• Have you exhausted all other remedies?

Three things to...

Performance reviews have gotten a bit of a bad rep throughout the years. Though it’s easy to understand why, it also doesn't need to be that way.

When done well, performance reviews can leave your staff feeling empowered and inspired and leave you feeling encouraged and excited about the upcoming year.

Here are 3 things you can do to foster reviews that your staff can look forward to instead of dread:

1. Set expectations. Do your staff know what’s important to you and to your vision for your organization? Have you clearly stated your expectations? Do they know what a review will look like, what they need to do to get promoted, receive their bonuses, etc.?
2. Encourage speaking up. Create an atmosphere where your staff feel comfortable sharing their concerns and their goals.
3. Reward above and beyond. Pay attention throughout the year to what you staff are doing then acknowledge and reward those going above and beyond for your company. They are the face of your brand. How they...

“The primary purpose of an incentive plan is to positively shape employee behaviour toward improving the company’s financial performance.”

Profit Works is a must read for anyone wanting to create an incentive plan that gets results. Alex Freytag and Tom Bouwer are huge proponents of Traction (the book we base our coaching program on), and you’ll notice how their ideas and advice works together with the EOS system. 

Throughout the book Alex and Tom will walk you through the why, how and what in order to create an effective incentive program for your company. There are clear do’s and don'ts in this process and this book breaks them down and provides straightforward instruction for the “do’s”. 

3 things stood out to me as I read this book:

1. Incentive plans will not make up for bad management. 
2. This is not an overnight process. As mentioned in the book, it takes time and intention to teach your employees how they, as...